Ok, tell me I am way behind or maybe I am ahead of the game but just last week while I was in Toronto overseeing a meeting, one of our fabulous INTD members brought me in the loop about Skype. Actually, I have been asked if I Skyped or had Skype before but was too embarrassed to admit I had no idea what they were talking about.
But as of last week I am in the know about this amazing site that is and should be downloaded to every TD's laptop. In fact meeting planners should encourage their TD's to use this on-site especially in international destinations.
What is Skype? For those of you who are like me, I will fill you in on this must have website. You simply download it for free, create a user name and just like that you can make local, long distance and international phone calls right from your computer. There is very little time delay and the sound is great considering it is processed over the internet.
The best part is the service is free when both users have Skype but you can call any number (land line or cell phone). For example when I contacted my office I used my associate's Skype user name so it called directly to her computer. We spoke daily for free without incurring .40 cents per minute rates by using my cell phone. If you call a land line or cell phone you simply purchase Skype credits for the long distance charges but the cost per minute is pennies. I was able to call home daily from Toronto to Chicago and it cost me a total of $3.00 USD over the course of 3 days!
I highly recommend purchasing a headset for your laptop which helps with the echoing and allows for private conversations. Not only can you make phone calls you can also host video conferencing and send SIM (text messages) too. Of course you need a video camera if you computer does not come with one already installed.
This is a great option for those of us on the road when cell phone reception is not great or the roaming rates are outrageous. So what are you waiting for?? Check it out at http://www.skype.com/.
Friday, July 25, 2008
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There are two more things I have learned about Skype. If your laptop is Bluetooth enabled (or you purchase a separate USB Bluetooth "adapter" for about $20), you can use the same Bluetooth headset you may already use for your mobile phone. This allows you to be wireless with Skype (within about 10 feet of your computer). Second, there is a free application which allows you to use your mobile phone (it needs to be a smartphone, such as a Palm, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, etc.) to call your Skype contacts. While you may not want to do this internationally, due to roaming charges, in your home country you are only charged for airtime. The website is iSkoot.com.
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